Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic approach to psychopathology

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Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic approach to psychopathology

 The psychodynamic approach focuses on the dynamics of mind. Sigmund Freud developed an approach on abnormality, that highlighted how human personality and psychosexual development in childhood can cause abnormality.

 Freud proposed that the human personality is made up of three interacting elements: the id, the ego and the super ego. The id is our unconscious it releases natural pleasure seeking instincts and operates to satisfy these instincts through pleasurable activities. The ego represents our conscious self, it tries to balance the id with moral rules proposed by the superego. The superego is our moral authority this developed through identification of our parents moral rules and the social norms of society.  

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 If the ego fails to balance the id and the superego this can lead to conflict and may result in a psychological disorder. If the id is not balanced by the ego and it becomes dominate this can lead to destructive tendencies and adverse pleasurable behaviour. However, if the superego becomes dominate an individual may be unable to experience any form of pleasurable gratification.

 Freud believed that because we are born with the id and the ego and superego is something we develop in early childhood, then conflicts are likely to arise whilst the ego and superego are ...

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